Photo via Hindustan Times

‘They got absolutely pumped’: Allan Donald believes Australia are no longer the 'menace' world feared once

Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald contends that Australia's national cricket team has lost the intimidating aura it possessed during the early 2000s under the leadership of Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting. Reflecting on past lineups featuring legendary figures such as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie, and Brett Lee, Donald highlighted that the current squad touring South Africa faces far greater scrutiny.

He pointed to Australia's recent home series against Bangladesh, where the hosts suffered a nine-wicket defeat in Darwin after posting just 198 runs and conceding 426, before bouncing back in Mackay with an innings-and-51-run victory to level the contest 1-1.

Donald noted that while the comeback victory was commanding, it has not masked deep-seated problems within the batting order. In his assessment, prolonged slumps among top-order players and an extended lower order force the bowling unit to continually bail out the team without adequate rest.